They were all quite happy with this arrangement until the earl decided to marry sophie had been quite pleased when she’d heard the news the housekeeper had said that the butler had said that the earl’s secretary had said that the earl planned to spend more time at penwood park now that he would be a family man and while sophie didn’t exactly miss the earl when he was gone it was hard to miss someone who didn’t pay her much attention even when he was there she rather thought she might miss him if she got to know him better and if she got to know him better maybe he wouldn’t go away so often plus the upstairs maid had said that the housekeeper had said that the neighbor’s butler had said that the earl’s intended wife already had two daughters and they were near an age to sophie after seven years alone in the nursery sophie was delighted unlike the other children in the district she was never invited to local parties and events no one actually came out and called her a bastard to do so was tantamount to calling the earl who had made one declaration that sophie was his ward and then never revisited the subject a liar but at the same time the earl never made any great attempt to force sophie’s acceptance and so at the age of 10 sophie’s best friends were maids and footmen and her parents might as well have been the housekeeper and butler but now she was getting sisters for real oh she knew she could not call them her sisters she knew that she would be introduced as sophia mariah beckett the earl’s ward but they would feel like sisters and that was what really mattered and so on february afternoon sophie found herself waiting in the great hall along with the assembled servants watching out the window for the earl’s carriage to pull up the drive carrying in it the new countess and her two daughters and of course the earl do you think she’ll like me sophie whispered to mrs gibbons the housekeeper the earl’s wife i mean of course she’ll like you tearling mrs gibbons whispered back but her eyes hadn’t been as certain as her tone the new countess might not take kindly to the presence of her husband’s bible and i’ll take lessons with her daughters no point in having you take your lesson separately sophie nodded thoughtfully then started to squirm when she saw the carriage rolling up the drive they’re here she whispered mrs gibbons reached out to pat her on the head but sophie had already dashed off to the window practically pressing her face up to the glass the earl stepped down first then reached in and helped down two young girls they were dressed in matching black coats one wore a pink ribbon in her hair the other yellow then as the two girls stepped aside the earl reached up to help one last person from the carriage sophie’s breath caught in her throat as she waited for the new countess to emerge her little fingers crossed and a single please whispered over her lips please let her love me maybe if the countess loved her then the earl would love her as well and maybe even if he didn’t actually call her daughter he’d treat her as one and they’d be a family truly as sophie watched through the window the new countess stepped down from the carriage her every movement so graceful and pure that sophie was reminded of the delicate lark that occasionally came to splash in the birdbath in the garden even the countess’s hat was adorned by a long feather its turquoise plume glittering in the hard winter sun she’s beautiful sophie whispered she darted a quick look back at mrs gibbons to gauge her reaction but the housekeeper was standing at strict attention eyes straight ahead waiting for the earl to bring his new family inside for introductions sophie gulped not exactly certain where she was meant to stand everyone else seemed to have a designated place the servants were lined up according to rank from the butler right down to the lowliest scullery made even the dogs were sitting dutifully in the corner their leads held tight by the keeper of the hands but sophie was ruthless if she were truly the daughter of the house she’d be standing with her governess awaiting the new countess if she were truly the earl’s ward she’d be in much the same place but miss timmons had caught a head cold and refused to leave the nurse

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